Delhi Assembly breach probe finds accused wanted to highlight nephew’s disappearance, say police

The probe into the Delhi Assembly security breach has revealed that the man who allegedly forced his way into the complex in an SUV wanted to draw the attention of police and other authorities towards the disappearance of his nephew, officials said on Tuesday.

According to the police, his nephew has been missing since April 1 and a missing persons report had been lodged at Hari Nagar police station in west Delhi.

A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said Sarabjeet Singh believed that senior officers would understand his grievance about his nephew’s disappearance and ensure action.

“While the family has claimed that he is mentally disturbed and undergoing treatment, (police) teams are not fully convinced by this theory at this stage. He is physically fit and we are also checking all the claims by his family members. Sarabjeet is also financially stable and purchased the SUV in February,” the police source said.

Another senior police officer said that he was produced before a city court and the court granted eight days police custody of the accused.

During his remand, police will investigate his routes, main motive, CCTV footage, complete the chain of events and examine different aspects of the case. Police sought 10 days of custody but the court approved eight days of remand.

“During custody, the police will verify the statements of the accused and reconstruct the sequence of events by linking the locations he visited over the past few days,” the source said.

Another officer said that though no weapon was recovered from him or his vehicle, he was driving dangerously, posing a serious threat to the lives of security personnel and others present at the assembly complex.

“Sarabjeet acted alone and no accomplice has been found so far. However, during the course of investigation, it emerged that he was unfamiliar with Delhi’s routes and had hired two taxi drivers, paying them Rs 2,000 to guide him to different religious places, including one in New Delhi district.

Sarabjeet was arrested along with two others two hours after he breached the assembly premises.

“Both taxi drivers have been questioned and no role in the offence has surfaced so far, though they are being further examined as a precautionary measure,” the officer said.

Sources further said that after fleeing from the assembly complex, the accused visited a religious place where he stayed for some time.

The assembly breach occurred at 2.10 pm on Monday when Sarabjeet rammed his vehicle through Gate No 2 of the Delhi Assembly at a high speed. He placed a bouquet and a garland inside the speaker’s car and briefly sat inside it before exiting through the same gate. The entire sequence unfolded within five to seven minutes.

Police said his driving appeared deliberate and dangerous, with an apparent intent that could have resulted in running over on-duty security personnel. Following the breach, a citywide alert was issued and barricades were set up across multiple locations. The accused was intercepted at around 4.15 pm near a police picket in the Roop Nagar area of north Delhi.

Police have also revealed that Sarabjeet had left his home on April 1, the same day his nephew went missing, making only one call to his family after that. Police are now analysing his call detail records to establish his movements and contacts in the days leading up to the security breach.

His wife has provided a medical prescription from Shahjahanpur claiming he was undergoing treatment for mental health issues, which is being verified by the police. However, sources indicated that the manner the act was carried out suggests “elements of planning”.

His behaviour in custody has been highly aggressive — shaking the lock-up grills, shouting loudly and making incoherent claims, a police source said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police officials said that Singh’s family had claimed he was suffering from mental health issues and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Shahjahanpur. They added that Sarabjeet lived with his wife and son in Narayanpur. They said his nephew, Harmandeep Singh, who was a BTech student in Delhi, had gone missing on April 1.

“He would not even speak to us. He usually just takes the car and drives off. He doesn’t listen to anyone at home, not even his elder brother. When he is in that state, nobody can stop him,” his mother had told reporters in Uttar Pradesh.

The family members also said Sarabjeet was upset that he was not told about his nephew’s disappearance initially.

A case has been registered against him under various sections, including attempt to murder, criminal trespass with preparation to commit offence, use of criminal force against a public servant.

Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, along with other relevant provisions pertaining to obstruction of public servants in discharge of duty have also been added to the FIR.

Police interrogation to ascertain the motive is currently underway.